Tips for Improving Spring Fly Fishing

In Forbes magazine, Monte Burke assembles a panel of expert and extracts seven suggestions for immediately improving your spring fishing, among them: fish dries in slower water in spring, look for seams where clear and dirty water meet during run-off, and fish every fish individually. “Sometimes you reach a pool and it can seem that every fish in there is rising at the same time. The natural instinct for a fisherman is to try to cast to all the fish at once. In the sport of quail hunting it’s known as ‘covey shooting.’ In a tip called ‘One at a Time,’ [Kirk] Deeter and [Charlie] Myers say you should deny that impulse.’By the way, many of Burke’s tips are from a brilliant new book from Kirk Deeter and the late Charlie Meyers titled The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing. Just out from Skyhorse Publishing, the book contains 250 of the most helpful tips I’ve seen collected in one place. And this isn’t a book just for rookies. In the first dozen pages or so I found a few things that I had discounted or entirely forgotten as proven methods for improving my fishing. So while the book is jammed with thoughtful advice for novices, most experts will find the mindfulness and clear thinking refreshing. Do yourself a favor and buy a copy on Amazon for less than 12 bucks.